the general
by Finn of Vantanor
Summary: a general must make the wisest decisions in war even if it means failure and persecution from his fallow comrades, Brandren must face this since he is a general of the mighty Rowan empire
1. the introduction

The general, summery

when Firestar joined the clan of wild cats known as thunderclan a mighty empire of cats had risen from a place they called Graul,**[France] **they where known as the Rowan empire, their one goal was to conquer the world of cats and bring about a one true order to all cats. They conquered every cat they could find and eventually many moons after the prophesy of three the rowan empire started their thirteen moons campaign against the four clans or as the Rowans called them the flea bitten savage clans of the lake, and after many moons of bloody battles the rowans conquest of the four clans was drawing to a close, With windclan and thunderclan wiped out and riverclan driven away, only shadowclan stood between the rowans conquest of all the cats of Europe. In the cold grasps of leaf bare the shadowclan warriors made their final stand against the Rowan empire


	2. Chapter 1: the last stand

**chapter one: the last stand **

Brandren sat alone on all fours with only a tiny bit of warmth from the leaf bare sun in the morning sky. his silver tabby fur almost disappeared in the snow that settled across the stone clearing that was once the thunderclan camp, but it was now a ravaged piece of land with the bones of prey from the fresh kill pile that use to stand in the clearing scattered across the destroyed camp.

His eyes where closed as his mind was in another place that was a lush green beautiful forest with the smell of prey running everywhere, he sniffed the air and caught the scent of a rabbit close by and excitedly got into the hunting crouch and edged towards the source of the delicious scent and his eyes spotted the rabbit in the undergrowth munching on the fresh green grass. He pawed his way closer making sure to stay deadly silent, when he was couple of fox lengths away he pounced and with incredible speed he pinned it down and sank his teeth into it's neck feeling the rabbit's life embed away.

Brandren stood over his catch with pride and hunger shining in his bright blue eyes, he didn't want to leave here everything was heavenly in this forest, he licked his lips and with his mouth watering as he bent down to take a bite out his prey but just then he heard his name being called "Brandren" he then felt some cat's paw prod on his shoulder which sent his mind back to his body and his eyes opened to see a ginger colored tom with amber eyes staring at him nervously, "what is it Cedar?" Brandren asked almost annoyed at being interrupted from the meal he was about to have in his dream, he then remember why he was here and his responsibilities, "it is time" he answered, Brandren sighed and pushed the dream out of head.

He stretched out his limbs, for he would need all of the muscles in his body to be at full strength, and bounded out of the exit to the desolate camp with Cedar close behind as they headed towards the hallow that was once the boarder between shadowclan and thunderclan.

The hallow was filled with cats that where warriors of the Rowan empire with collars lined with dog teeth and stood in multiple lines ready for battle. The ground was wet and covered in mud from the rain and snow last night and there was an eerie fog the came from the shadowclan territory, the warriors looked weary but ready for battle with a few looking hungry, but when Brandren entered the hallow their expressions brightened as he march threw the middle lines, they bowed their heads in respect with each of them saying "general."

when he made it to the center of the line of warriors a black tom with two white front paws and a long nasty scar running down the left side of his face and another long scar ran along his right side from being ferociously clawed in the flank. The black tom bowed his head in respect and Brandren bowed back, "good morning Coal" he meowed, "good morning Brandren, your late" he meowed with an almost scolding tone to it, "sorry I always like to have some peace before a battle, anyway our warriors look hungry" Brandren replied "it's leaf bare, the cold has driven away most of the prey" Coal meowed.

Brandren turned to face the woods in the shadowclan side of the territory "have you sent a messenger to them?" he asked "yes, we sent Sack to their camp to offer our terms" Coal replied "how long has he been gone?" "almost an hour." Brandren did not like the sound of this answer "do you think they will they fight?" coal asked, "most likely but we shall see" he answered. Just then a loud defiant yowl came from the shadowclan territory "we will never surrender to you flea bitten pieces of foxdung!."

out of the fog came an orange tabby with black stripes along his back, he had a companion who was a she cat with white fur with little spots along her body. Both of them where carrying a limp brown furred form that was covered in blood, Brandren saw that the bloody body of the brown furred tom was Sack.

The two shadowclan cats flung Sack's body into the hallow and yowled defiantly with a jeering tone "if you want our territory then come and get it!," and as if on Que a huge band of shadowclan warriors lined up on the edge of their territory ready for battle with all of them yowling out defining battle cries.

Coal eyes became slits as his fur bristled with anger "these savages should know when they've been conquered" he snarled. Brandren expression remained calm "they are proud warriors like us, would you surrender if our home was being invaded?"he meowed, Coal just sighed "i guess not" he replied. Brandren then called for the captains to come and receive their orders, there where four including Coal, "the front line will will charge them head on with Siva and Karva leading them" he gestured with his tail to two tabby toms one with brown fur and one with blue fur, "the second line will attack right after the first line charges, they will be lead by Coal and streak," he nodded to both Coal and streak who was a calico tom who had only his left eye with a big ugly scar in his right eye from a terrible claw to the face by a badger. "and finally third line will try to sneak around them and attack from behind, I will lead this line, wait for my signal than charge" he meowed giving out the final orders.

The four captains nodded and took their positions in the lines of Rowan warriors, while Brandren moved into the third line. Karva moved in front of the first line and turned to face the Rowan warriors, "the enemy has refused our offer so we show no mercy, kill every last one of them!" he yowled fiercely. The Rowan warriors all gave out defining battle cries, Karva turned his head towards Branden and Brandren nodded giving him the signal to attack.

Karva turned to face the shadowclan warriors and gave a terrifying yowl, then he charged with the entire front battle line charging right behind him towards the shadowclan army. The shadowclan warriors charged at the Rowan army with ferocity and the distance between the two armies becoming very short until they could see every detail of each others fur.

They meet head on like two boulders colliding with each other on a mountain side and the the two armies broke out into a furious frenzy of teeth and claws as one Rowan warrior a yellow tabby pinned a night blue she cat and tore open her throat making blood splatter on the tabby and then the tabby charged at another shadowclan enemy.

An ash gray shadowclan tom snarling jumped on a black Rowan tom and began clawing mercilessly at his opponent's flank ripping long nasty gashes into back and side, the Rowan tom gave a howl of agony and fell to the ground dead with blood flowing heavily from his wounds. The shadowclan warriors fought with intense ferocity and began to push the front line back, but just as it looked as if the shadowclan cats would drive the front line away the second line of Rowan warriors charged in backing up their comrades.

The battle became chaos as blood flied everywhere with mutilated bodies strewn all about ground, Brandren led his band of warriors carefully around the ferocious battle to catch the shadowclan warriors from behind. Once behind they charged catching the shadowclan warriors off guard, Brandren lunged at a blue striped tabby clawing at his pelt he then pinned him down and sank his teeth into the tabby's throat killing him in seconds.

Then a blue furred she cat let out anguished yowl and lung at him with her eyes full of hatred as she bowled him over and began viciously claw his body, she gave him a long deep scratch in his belly and he shrieked in agony. He than snarled and slashed her in the eyes blinding her and than sliced her throat open with his claws as her blood covered his paws, his fur was splattered with blood and his wound was bleeding steadily. He winced in pain as his breathing became heavy.

Just then out of the corner of his eye Brandren saw a shadowclan warrior covered in blood from his many wounds and from his enemy sprinting towards him yowling ferociously. But before he could get his claws on Branden a Rowan warrior rammed him in the side bowling him over and pinned the shadowclan tom and tore open his throat. Brandren saw the shadowclan leader Shadestar kill one Rowan warrior after another, determined to to spill as much Rowan blood as he could.

Just then three Rowan warriors pounced on him clawing at every inch of his pelt. Shadestar shrieked and his body became limp, but after a few moments he roes again but the three Rowan warriors where already on him again, they knew about the leaders of the clan cats getting nine lives from their bloodthirsty ancestors so it did not matter they would kill him again and again until he would join his savage ancestors permanently.

Brandren watched the gruesome battle happening around him, but after several minutes the battle came to an end, and at the cost of countless brave warriors the Rowan cats won the battle. Brandren raised his head towards the sky and let out triumphant yowl "VICTORY!," and the remaining Rowan warriors joined in yowling their triumphant victory. Just after the yowls where finished he felt the stabbing pain from the wound he had received from his battle with the blue colored she cat.

Brandren teetered on his paws as his eyes became heavy and his conscious faltered, in his blurry vision he saw Coal bound over to covered in blood from his opponents and some from his own wounds "Brandren are you mortally wounded?" he asked, then Brandren laughed "i..i never been better" he meowed humorously and then fainted. Brandren opened his eyes and saw that he was in a field of green long grass and a clear blue sky with the suns warm rays shining down on his body.

He saw in the distance the lush green forest that almost seems disappears over the horizon, as he sniffed the air taking fresh scent of spring grass another scent entered his nose, one that was sweet and familiar. He looked around trying to find the source of the scent and his eyes found a gorgeous golden she-cat with bright green eyes like holly, pad up to with her beautiful eyes gleaming with happiness "Mayla, is that really you?" he gasped, "yes Brandren it's really me your mate" she answered almost giggling.

Brandren rush forward to touch her nose with his and then began licking her muzzle, then her ears with so much love and affection like mother who had found her long lost after moons of despair, "am I dead?," "no, it is not your time yet" she meowed, "but I want to stay here with you in this place, away from the dark cruel world of the living" he meowed disappointed by her answer, "you still have family that is very important to you in the living world, or have you forgotten our daughter Malla?" she asked giving him a sad look, "no I haven't, your right she still needs me and I have to be a good father, but will I see you again?" Brandren asked with many emotions in his meow.

Mayla moved to stand side by side with him and gave his muzzle an affectionate lick, "yes I will. No matter how long I wait I will be here for you when your time comes, I swear" she replied licking his ear loving twining her tail with his and whispered in his ear "i love you." Brandren opened his eyes and saw that he was in the healer-cat's den, he then look at his wound that still stung and saw that it was closed together with cobwebs, "awake I see" he heard the voice come from the entrance to the den.

He saw that it was Vila the red tom who was one the many healer-cats to the Rowan empire, "yes I am awake Vila" he yawned, "how long have I been out?" "nearly two & half days" Vila replied. Brandren yawned as he stretched out his sore limbs, "Coal has been anxiously waiting for you to wake up" Vila meowed, "can you bring him here now?" Brandren asked, Vila nodded and exited the den.

He then returned with Coal right behind him, Vila than left to give them some time alone, "how many of our warriors survived the battle?" Brandren asked resting on his four limbs "less than half and some are even dieing right now as we speak" he sighed looking down sadly at his paws, "they will be honored for their courage and we will see them in the otherland" Brandren replied, his eyes twinkling with pride for their fallen comrades, "you are right we will see them again but not yet" he replied smiling.

A question came into Brandren's mind that he should asked before, "have they done the purging already?" he asked curiously "they finished about two hours ago" he answered. The purging was a battle ritual, after every war the Rowan warriors kill every surviving member of the group that did not submit to their domination, nether the young or old where spared not even mothers, except for kits that where too young to speak, they would be taken away and raised by adopted Rowan parents and would lose their memories of their real parents forever but before they are adopted they are given a purification ceremony that strips them of their connection to their ancestors so they will grow up never knowing who they really are.

Brandren nodded "good" he replied getting up from the ground, then Brandren heard his stomach growl loudly and felt sensation of hunger beginning to take over his body, "can we go get something to eat?" he asked hungrily, "of course Brandren" coal replied dipping his head and they both headed out of the healer-cat's den towards the prey pile that was in the center of the Rowan camp in the windclan territory, with the warriors giving cheers as Brandren ans Coal padded by.

When they got the prey pile they both picked out a nice fat rabbit to share between them and as Brandren ate he gave his thanks to the gods and his ancestors.

**Thank for reading, I hoped you liked it, and I would be very happy to see your review on this story **


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